State Of Healing
by TR Feigning Innocence
Summary: Attacked by unknown enemies, Kagome is the only survivor but she does not escape unharmed. Just as she must learn to adjust with her new disability, she must also learn to trust again.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter One:

_(Two Weeks Ago)_

_There was a scream overhead, the harsh sound filled with agony and horror, a combination that sent shivers down her spine. The acrid scent of blood and death permeated the air, wrapping around anything that remained living. To the left of her, Kagome could hear the painful sobs of Sango as she hovered over what she knew was Miroku's body. The elder girl was too distracted, too devastated to pay more attention to the fight yet Kagome could hear the sound of Sango pulling out her small sword just in time to block a shuriken from lodging itself into her back. Even now Kagome knew that the huntress would not give up so easily, she knew that Sango would not stop until her body forced her to. _

_It was only a matter of minutes before Kagome felt Sango's blade lodge into the dirt by her hand. There was a small gurgling sound and Kagome whimpered as she realized that one of the brothers must have been trying to strangle the huntress. The thought of that, the idea that despite her injuries Kagome might be able to save at least one comrade urged her to her unsteady feet, Sango's small katana in her bloody hand. _

_Her vision wasn't totally gone yet, despite the younger brothers attempt and so with barely a sound Kagome rushed forward and dragged the sword into the elder youkai brothers back, pulling it down with all her weight, brushing against his spine and rupturing important organs. Kagome could hear as the youkai tossed an unconscious Sango to the ground. Pain, almost as great as what she had experienced only hours before, ripped through her and her fighting spirit drowned in it. She hadn't been quick enough, hadn't been able to save her last surviving friend. Devastated and fractured, Kagome sank to the ground at the youkai's feet, too exhausted to do much more than sob brokenly. _

_Suddenly she felt blood spill endlessly on her shoulder and around her neck, coming disgustingly close to getting on her face. Terrified, she whimpered and tried to back away from the corpse that she knew would be close behind the blood. But when a firm hand landed on her shoulder, she let loose a fractured scream, wishing things would stop going oh-so-wrong. Another hand clamped over her mouth and a smell she couldn't identify, before everything went dizzy and her already fading eyesight went even blacker._

(Present Day)

She sat huddled in the corner, her knees drawn up to her chest and her arms wrapped around them as she leaned her head limply against the stone wall. In the back of her mind she registered the rough texture of the hakama she wore rubbing against her soft skin with even the slightest of movements. Around her wrists and ankles the cold metal burned against her skin, the surface coarse and old. Her bare feet curled into each other in an attempt to keep warm as the pressed into the cold, grimy floor.

The thick sent of urine and body order permeated the air around her, stenches Kagome thought she would have become accustomed to by now. But she had no such luck. After all, if she had even the smallest amount of luck, she wouldn't be trapped here in this Kami-forsaken place. Outside the sound of rain pounding against the roof of the old building was barely audible, but the fact that it was still surprised her. She was noticing many more things now with her other senses than she ever had with her eye sight. Not that she had her eye sight anymore.

Blind. Kami, her mother would shake her head in exasperation if she knew. Kagome liked to stare up into the sky a lot, which often included the sun. Her mother was always teasing her about going blind before she reached thirty. Funny, she wondered what her mom would say if she knew Kagome was blind before twenty. And just as she knew what her mother would say, she also knew that her mother would never know. No, she couldn't go home now, not with everything that happened. Kagome refused to let her mother see the pain she suffered, to see the knowledge that even Kagome refused to accept, the knowledge that she kept so carefully hidden in the back of her mind.

Reaching her fingers up to brush softly over her eyes, Kagome once again touched the soft fabric wrapped around her face. Out of all the days she'd been here, trapped in this hell-hole, this was the one constant her captors had. Every other day one of them would come in and change the bandage around her eyes, knowing it didn't matter if they took it off because she couldn't see them.

Two weeks had passed and still no Inuyasha and Kikyo, not that she was expecting much from the clay pot. It still irked her though that she was somehow keeping Inuyasha from finding her. How Kagome knew that she wasn't sure; all she knew was that something inside of her said this was all Kikyo's fault. Sighing, she brought her hands back down to rest between the crevice of her knees and her chest, once again forced to drift in her thoughts.

Her first few days in this cell, Kagome had been unable to stop the tears as they poured out of her eyes. She couldn't stop herself from shaking out of desperation and fear. Her first few days, Kagome thought she was in a living hell. Oh, how she wished that was true. Hell would be so much better than knowing that she, a worthlessly weak human who was unable to protect herself, had survived a fight her much stronger friends had not. Those first days, she would have given anything to give her life for Sango's or Miroku's, even little Kirara.

Thinking back to the unexpected battle, even though it hurt her to do so, Kagome was able to rationalize that even if she were a strong fighter, there was no way the three of them could have defeated the humanoid youkai. Even with Inuyasha it would have been a close call. Vaguely she wondered what Inuyasha would do when he went back to the village and saw the massacre, all the blood and the corpses of Sango and Miroku. She wondered if he would feel as guilty as she did. But then Kagome vanished those thoughts, knowing that it wasn't his fault, knowing that he didn't deserve such un-loyal wonderings of her mind.

Leaning forward once again, Kagome wondered briefly what it would feel like to have her eyes open and yet be unable to see. She shuddered at that thought though it was immensely more acceptable than the other thoughts running through her ravaged mind.

(Two More Days Pass)

She reluctantly remained still as a pair of large hands unwrapped the bandage from her eyes, one hand holding her still as the other unwound what she assumed was once a white cloth. Throughout the past couple of days her as her captor bound and re-bound her eyes, she gained the feeling that he wanted to say something to her, not only from the slightly gentle way he handled her but also from the way his breathing seemed to stop for a moment only to start up again, as if he changed his mind.

Despite her constant wariness to the man and her own thoughts of escape, Kagome found that she was curious to hear what he had to say. Not only for someone to talk to but also for the sound of someone else's voice aside from her own. It was so depressing to realize that you talked to yourself. "What is…your name?" Was that her voice? Since when was it so hoarse? Sighing, she pushed that thought away just as she did her thoughts of the battle.

Again Kagome could sense the hesitation as he stopped what he was doing for a moment, before sighing as well. "I am Toshimata of the Eastern Kitsune Clan."

At the word Kitsune, Kagome jerked from his touch and whimpered, images of Shippo flashing through her mind. She hadn't seen him since the day before the battle when he went with Keade to gather herbs. Unwilling tears leaked down her cheeks. And to think, she thought she was done with tears.

She could feel Toshimata hesitate again as he reached for her but he didn't try to stop her from crying as he continued, albeit slowly, with his task. "Miko, why do you cry?"

"I…I had a Kitsune pup," she said softly, more tears dripping down her cheeks. "I miss him…"

Frankly, Toshimata was shocked. First of all, since when did a Miko care for a youkai and secondly, since when did a Miko take in a youkai child as her own. It occurred to him then that there was only one Kitsune family he could think of that had gone missing a couple years ago and it was the small Shimazi clan. "What was your…pup's name?" he asked finally, wrapping the new bandage around her head one final time and tying it in the back.

"Shippo." Her voice was quiet and filled with motherly love, warm and understanding. Longing. Painful. "He was so adorable! The brightest green eyes I've ever seen on a child and hair so orange it reminded me of a pumpkin." A small, tearful left escaped her lips and again she wondered when her voice had become so hoarse. "I couldn't turn my back for a moment because he was always playing tricks…"

Although she couldn't see it, Toshimata smiled at her words. He was young himself, only 16 in human years, but he had a couple of younger friends, so he knew how rowdy a young kit could be. Sitting back on his haunches, Toshimata studied the teenager. If it weren't for the tear tracks now running down her cheeks and the bandage wrapped around her eyes, he would say that she looked just like any other human girl her age. Frankly, he didn't really understand why his brother wanted her locked up like this, but he supposed it had something to do with the fact that someone was paying him. Toshimata wasn't stupid and he had noticed the small, expensive things appearing around the small hut, the numerous nights his brother had come home in the morning smelling of a brothel. There was also the amount of strength he found in his brother, a strength that was not acquired in a natural way. He came to a decision.

"Miko, can you trust me? Even for just a moment?"

She was silent for a moment, before nodding slightly. "Kagome. My name is Kagome, not Miko." It was small, barely noticeable, but it was there. Kagome offered up a smile, glad to know that there was still a part of her who could trust, a part of her who could so easily put her life in another person's hands.

"Good."

Before she knew what was happening, the shackles that bound her wrists and ankles were suddenly ripped off her and set softly to the side. She didn't even get a chance to rub some circulation back into them before she felt strong arms lift her and bring her close to a warm chest. She remained silent.

Toshimata walked through the door in front of him, glad he had decided to leave it open on this particular visit. To be honest, he didn't really know where he was going to go with the girl. Not yet anyway. He had orders, but Toshimata had a feeling that something was about to happen and he did not want to be here when it did. Concentrating, he tried to remember the precise locations of the guards from when he had passed them on his way down to the dungeon; two on both sides of the exit, one on the first floor, four by the front door and six by the gates. 15 guards. He wondered if they would follow him or his brother.

That question was answered quickly enough as he stepped out of the dungeon and a cocky voice whispered beside him. "About time you helped her, Toshimata-sama! I was beginning to wander if the hanyou had gotten to you as well as Koshimata-sama." There was silence again, before the other man's voice softened. "Hello Miko-sama." Just the sight of her and Souton wanted to kill the bastards that had hurt her; he didn't even know the girl. "My name is Souton. Don't worry; we'll get you out of here." He wasn't surprised when she didn't say anything. Grinning he turned to Toshimata again. "So, Toshi-chan," he said teasingly as he killed a guard that had snuck up behind them. "How do you wanna do this?"

"Kill the traitors. Anyone who dares to disobey our Lords orders do not deserve to live."

(Four days later, 3 weeks since she was kidnapped)

Kagome sat next to the stream, her feet dangling in the water, just barely brushing against the hems of her hakama. Fresh air. It felt like she had gone longer than 2 weeks without it, yet she knew that wasn't the truth. She knew that even as something small and cold brushed against her foot in the water, that life would go on, that the world would keep spinning. Life would continue on its natural course, doing as it pleased with no consequences to the lives lost or taken throughout time. Life was cold. Life was hard. But still, Life would continue.

A sound to her left caught her attention and she turned instinctively to look, despite the loss of her sight. She was still for a moment, before spreading out her senses. There, on the outer edges, was Souton. Ah. So it was his turn to guard her, was it? Funny. No matter what she told them or how many times she had demonstrated her level of power once out of the prison, they still would not leave her to herself. Then again, Kagome had the very distinct feeling that it had more to do with actually wanting to protect her than any obligation to their mysterious Lord.

All in all, there were only four others who helped to free her from the prison, not counting Souton or Toshimata. There was one male that was extremely silent, speaking only when spoken to. Yet for some reason it was his presence she was able to gain the most comfort from. From what the others had told her, he was a bear youkai with a very gentle personality and fighting skills that rivaled some upper class demon in their court. She wasn't sure what he looked like, but then again, she wasn't sure what she looked like, let alone anyone else. That was probably why she wasn't concerned with her hair or the grime she knew stained her clothing.

Two of the others she knew to be twins; not from any of her senses but more because they had out and out told her, taking it upon themselves to cheer her up and protect her skillfully when it was their turn. Just being around them, despite the fact that she'd have preferred the quiet tranquility that was the bear youkai, Rion, made Kagome think about the better parts of the last three years instead of the constant memories of the deaths that flashed through her mind. From their overly active actions and hyper words, Kagome got the distinct feeling that they were some kind of cat breed.

The final one that helped to save her was called Soaran. By far the other woman had the most distinct temper but whenever it was the bird youkai's turn to protect her, Kagome could sense a distinctly maternal feeling coming from the woman, almost as if watching over Kagome reminded the woman of a child. Honestly she wouldn't be surprised if that was the case, after all, in her current state, Kagome was no more use than a child. The only thing she could possibly do was tell if a demon was approaching. She had a feeling though that they didn't even need her for that.

Souton watched the miko quietly, knowing the girl could sense him and that there was no need for him to announce his presence. Just the sight of her had him wanting to kill the two youkai that attacked her and her group again. Oh yes, he was there. Souton was the one that sealed the killing blow to the first of the two youkai. As he moved to the second one, he found the girl already on the ground, the youkai's blood spilling out on her. Yes, he knew she was strong, knew that if she hadn't been she would already have lost the will to live. And for that, for that small little effort she put in to survive another day, Souton found himself wanting to protect her even more.

He stepped forward, offering up a small smile and a bow, more habit than anything. After all, there wasn't any point of bowing to someone who could not acknowledge it. "Hello Miko-sama. How are you faring this morning?"

Kagome offered up a small smile before turning back to face the stream again, her hands lying limply in her lap. This too was a routine of his. Always, no matter that her answer was the same, he asked how she was. She suspected he asked because he knew he wasn't getting the truth, but Kagome didn't know if she could trust someone with her emotions again. Her life, yes, but not her feelings. Those were hers, to stay locked in her heart forever. "I'm okay, Souton."

"Just okay, Miko-sama?"

That was another thing. No matter how many times she told him to, Souton never called her by name. It was always 'My Lady,' or 'Miko-sama.' It was a curious thing and she wondered if it was because of their Lord or if he honestly thought she deserved the title. Shrugging those thoughts away, she answered his question, forcing another smile and a small laugh. "Yes, Souton."

Studying her, he wondered if he would ever get the chance to see her as he had before, with her fiery eyes and spirited attitude, standing up to those who were stronger than her. Even their Lord on more than one occasion. Six months ago their Lord had given him the task of keeping an eye on the group, informing the Lord if anything out of the ordinary happened or if the group came closer to finding Naraku. He wanted to hit himself for leaving to report to his Lord and leaving the small group open for an attack. He also wanted to kill the white haired hanyou for leaving just hours before the battle started. He was the alpha of their pack and yet he abandoned them. The idiot didn't deserved to live another day. But Souton had been forbidden to kill the hanyou, knowing that only one person had the right to that.

Sighing, he moved to sit next to her, his shoulder brushing against hers. He was surprised when she didn't flinch or try to jerk away from him. Thinking about it, Souton was pretty sure it had something to do with her miko powers, like she could tell he wasn't going to hurt her or something. Shrugging, he waited quietly for her to speak and begin the conversation, just like she always did.

"I'm guessing you want another story, huh? Anything in particular?" she asked after waiting a few minutes to see if he would start the little chat for once. Sitting next to him, telling him about her adventures through the feudal era so far reminded her so much of sitting at home and telling them to her family. Kami she missed them.

Souton smiled, wondering which of her adventures she would speak of this time. Most if not all of them were something to be proud of, especially for a human. He was always eager to listen, mostly because it seemed to distract her from her current thoughts and pains. Glancing at her, he was happy that Toshimata had finally decided to remove the bandages from her eyes and that there was little to no scarring. What scars were there were small and hardly noticeable with her fair skin. Despite the fact that there were sightless, her iris' somehow still managed to keep their deep blue color and it pleased him to look at them. "No, My Lady, nothing in particular."

Sifting through her memories, Kagome decided to tell him about her small side journey a couple of months previously, knowing that it wasn't something he would expect. After all, who would expect a girl to go with one of her most powerful enemy's?

"A couple of months ago, just as I came home from my….village from a vacation of sorts, I happened to run into one of my more dangerous enemy's. For the most part, when I'd see him before, he would always out right attack me, though it wasn't exactly without reason. See, first he would attack his brother, Inuyasha and then I would interfere if things got pretty bad looking for Inuyasha, which they did, often. Soooo, in order to distract Sesshoumaru, I would…heh, I would shoot a purified arrow at him. At that point, he would either rush me and be stopped by Inuyasha or try and melt me, but that only happened once and the sheath to Inuyasha's sword would protect me. Then there were other times when he would send a blast from the Tokijin at me in which case I got my ass out of the way and let them continue. But not for long." She laughed this time, a small but real one that surprised both her and Souton.

Souton was more surprised by the fact that she had attacked Lord Sesshoumaru and still lived to tell the tale. It was interesting.

"Anyway, like I was saying, while I was waiting for Inuyasha, Sesshoumaru approached me. Of course, just as an arrogant jerk would, he picked me up and carried me away without asking me or telling me what he wanted." She grinned again at the thought. "He'd only say '_if you do not cease your screams, this Sesshoumaru will let you fall._' Needless to say, I kept quiet till he landed."

She was silent again, lost in her memories until Souton tapped her knee, smiling even though she couldn't see it. "What happened after that Miko-sama?"

There was another small smile. "I don't really know, to tell the truth. All I know is that one minute he was scaring the hell out of me and the next we were bickering like good friends." She held a hand out in front of her like she could see it, as if just looking at it was the answer to all of her questions. "From then on, I would stay out of any fights between him and Inuyasha. Like I said, I don't really understand it, but I guess nothing but good came from it."

Souton remained quiet, keeping any questions or thoughts he had to himself as he studied her with something akin to awe. Even after all this she could still seem so mesmerizing, so enchanting that he wondered what the hanyou was thinking when he hurt her.

(Two Days Later, Three weeks since she was kidnapped)

The night was silent, filled with a palpably tense air that put Kagome on edge. It were nights like these when the monsters snuck in the dark to attack them, moments like this when all hell could break out and the least expected things could occur.

To her right was Souton, tall and built, standing as close to her as their small group could allow, the one who tried to protect her in every situation. Over the past five days Kagome had grown close to the Inu youkai, telling him stories of her travels with Sango and the others, listening as he talked about his family. Sometimes he even managed to drag a story about her family out of her.

On her left was Rion, the Bear youkai that made her calm just from being in his presence. He hadn't talked much since meeting her but she felt that he didn't really need words to get his point across. Numerous times she could feel him doing things that just as easily made his thoughts known. In front of her was Toshimata and he was quiet, allowing her to fill the silences and keeping her up to date on the news of what was going on. Behind her was Saoran and the two neko twins, all three of whom always tried to take care of her.

They walked in formation, keeping her in the center of them all so that they could easily protect her. Souton said it was because they were getting closer and closer to their goal, closer to the home of their Lord. A home which just happened to be the home of nothing but other youkai, demons that were known to dislike humans.

Sighing, Kagome could feel the presence of them growing strong with each step and was forced to hold down her powers. It would not do to kill the followers of the Lord who was helping her. Beside her Souton tensed and stepped even closer to her, setting a hand on her lower back as a warning to stay close.

She felt a space open up in front of her and knew that Toshimata must have stepped forward to speak to someone because suddenly there was a quiet unlike any she had ever heard, one that put her even more on edge than she was before.

"She is safe M'Lord, but not…unhurt."

There was silence again but Kagome was unable to hear the reply of the Lord and thus unable to tell who it was. It was frustrating.

"Yes, M'lord."

Another silence and then Kagome felt the large aura of a familiar demon coming closer, a demon that tried to kill her on many occasions upon their first meeting but now was an ally.

"Sesshoumaru-sama."


	2. Chapter 2

_((A/N – Gomen everybody! I'm really sorry for the long update! A lot of things have been happening lately and it's distracted me from my writing. I also started to write it and got about three pages in when I decided I didn't like the direction the chapter was taking, so I started over, lol. Still, I sincerely hope to hear from you all again and that at the very least you enjoy my stories! Ja Ne! Also, I've only responded to one or two reviews in this chapter, the rest will be by PM.))_

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Chapter Two:

She stomped away from the room, walking as quickly as the hand at her elbow would allow. It made sense, of course it did. But she also didn't have to believe it. Just because he said it was true didn't have to mean it was. After all, since when was he the all knowing? Humph. Stupid male.

"Milady…" This was from Rion as he led her down the hall, walking quickly to allow her to move so as well. "Your anger…is unjustified."

Kagome let out a breath and although she was tempted to yank her arm away from the bear youkai's grasp she knew it was the only thing stopping her from running into walls. "I don't want to hear it. The idea that Inuyasha….that he would do that to us! Completely inane! That Sesshoumaru would even think to accuse him of doing such a thing!" She let loose a growl that had Rion glancing back at her, wondering if she were truly human.

"The information is true," he replied, not bothering to mention the people who'd gathered it were highly trained informants; it should have been obvious his Lord would only have the best.

"I won't believe it until I see it with my own…eyes," she said quietly. Of course, going by that deceleration she would never be able to believe anything Sesshoumaru had spoken of. Kagome very much so wanted to dispute everything the stoic Lord said with all her heart, to cast away his accusations of her best friend. It just wasn't right! Inuyasha would never do that…do this to her. He would have never betrayed her so easily, she was sure of it!

Rion sighed but said nothing more as the young human female remained adamant in her refusals. He wondered what she would do when the brutal truth knocked her off her feet. Of course he would be there but the real question, the one even Lord Sesshoumaru did not have an answer for, was one no one wanted to contemplate. For despite the fact the miko was able to recuperate so easily mentally from her disability, everyone doubted she would be able to achieve such a state so gracefully again when it was her heart being betrayed.

By this point they'd reached the dojo where just an hour before a servant had summoned them to Lord Sesshoumaru's study. Although the girl was skilled in detecting other life forces her skills of self defense were sorely lacking and her new disability made it highly obvious: she would be a liability when she started her travels again and unsuitable to defend the Shikon no Tama or its shards.

For the past few days he'd been training her, teaching her how to fall as best he could, using what he knew of touch to change the lessons. Rion had never taught anyone before so showing anyone, let alone this blind human girl, how to do anything was a bit of a challenge. So far he'd had to walk Kagome step-by-step through the falls seeing as she could not watch them herself and there was only so much she could mimic without being able to see.

As Rion commenced with the lessons again Kagome found it harder and harder to concentrate to the point where she was fumbling even the basic of techniques. She was thankful it was Rion and not Sesshoumaru or some other guard, Rion's infinite patience calming and infuriating all at the same time. Still, as she tumbled to the ground again the only thing she wanted more than a nice warm bed to hide in was her mother. There were times where a mothers kind words were the only thing that could put the world to rights again and Kagome was sure this was one of those times.

With this resolution in mind she rolled onto her side and pushed herself up. "Stop."

He stumbled in his movements at the abrupt command but did not say anything. Having spent all this time with the girl he knew she would say what was on her mind but her next words gave him pause. Was this allowed?

"I would like to go to my room to pack. I want to visit my family." She brushed a strand of tickling hair off her cheek and waited for the youkai to step closer so she could take his elbow.

"Milady, please, consider your actions for just a moment. You're safety is a top priority." Still, he stepped closer until her small hand was wrapped around his elbow and arm. He studied the girl and for the millionth time had to wonder what was going through her head. How could visiting her family be put over her safety? It didn't make any sense. He knew she was a person who followed her heart and emotions instead of her mind, sharp though it was on most matters, yet…he sighed. Deciphering the minds of females was not a part of his job description. Besides, the only female he really needed to understand was his Keronia, his mate. Hers was the only female mind that mattered to him.

Kagome smiled slightly and began to walk forward, counting on Rion to help her avoid walls and what not. Safety at her home was not a problem. There were no youkai in her time anymore, not to mention magic. "I have nothing to fear at my home. There are no youkai there." She wasn't surprised when he tensed just a bit.

"You mean a barrier keeps all youkai out, correct?" The girls Miko abilities were formidable so he wasn't surprised when she mentioned her home being void of youkai. Most shrines were.

Another smile formed and she nodded mutely. Let him think what he wanted. It was probably better he didn't know of her alternative future. She could feel just a small bit of hesitation from him, her grasp on his elbow allowing her to play on his emotions. "I can't promise you'll be allowed…through…but I can promise I'll be safe there. And I'll even come back at the end of the night just to show you, okay?"

Rion sighed and glanced down the hallway, as if looking for eavesdroppers before turning back to the girl. She was doing her best to look at him though her eerie, empty blue eyes were focused on his neck and shoulder. Most females he knew would have broken down by now, given up and let everything end. She was a strong one. Another sighed escaped before he agreed. "We will go. Pack your things while I go explain to Sesshoumaru-sama."

She stood in front of the well, one hand brushing against the harsh wood. It would be so easy to turn back now and go back to Sesshoumaru's. As far as she knew it was the only place she would be safe at in this era. And her mother might not be able to handle this type of injury. She growled. Too bad. The time for being placid and calm was over and Kagome was determined to figure things out. Rion stood behind her and she could feel the confusion emanating from him. Again. Turning her head slightly in what she assumed was his direction, she smiled slightly. "I'm not from this time. I live 500 years in the future. The Bone Eaters Well is the way I travel back and forth."

"I…see." It was clear the bear youkai didn't believe her.

She smiled and turned back to face the well again. Oh well. He'd see when he looked in the bottom of the well and saw she wasn't there. Time to go. Stepping up to the edge of the well, she steadied herself and crouched on the old wood. "I'll be back later tonight." Pushing off just a little she let herself free fall and within seconds was embraced by the familiar pink magic of the well. When the magic stopped Kagome wasn't totally sure it had worked, but felt around the edges of the well anyway, looking for the rope ladder Grandpa had insisted be hung so she could climb out.

It took her a minute or two to climb out but when she reached the top and was surrounded by the familiar musty smell of the well house she smiled. She had to move slowly to be careful of the steps but as soon as she was outside she relaxed. The sounds of traffic moving in the background and the polluted smell of the city bombarded her and despite the intrusion, she smiled. This was home.

"Mama!"

What she thought was a broom clattered to the ground, the racket jarring and throwing her slightly off balance. Before she could tell what was happening, a warm, thin pair of arms wrapped around her and her mother's voice was muffled by her hair. "Kagome! My Kagome! You're alright!!"

Kagome tentatively hugged her mother back, still a little hesitant how to act. This was Mama, but…she bit her lip. "You could say that," she whispered.

Her mother's hands were suddenly gripping her upper arms and Kagome knew she was looking at her, searching for anything to cause worry. Ayumi's silence was deafening and Kagome was sure she'd realized just what was wrong, that Kagome wasn't alright at all. "Oh Kagome…"

The pity in her mother's voice was horrible but Kagome didn't say a word. She merely smiled slightly and waited for her to finish. "How did this happen? Why wasn't Inuyasha protecting you like he's supposed to?"

"Ah…he wasn't there when it happened. I'm…not really sure where he was." _But I know he didn't betray us_, she thought, unaware she'd fisted her hands.

"Well, let's go inside and you can tell me all about it. And then I'll decide whether or not to yell at him next time I see him." She could hear the forced amusement in Mama's voice but she wasn't going to comment on that either. Mama would form her own conclusions after the story was told, just like always. And then Kagome would ask for Ayumi's advice.

Her mother led her inside by the hand, making sure to walk slowly so Kagome wouldn't stumble and when tea was made and they were sitting at the kitchen table, Ayumi waited for her daughter to speak. The next hour and a half were filled with Kagome's story and the numerous questions Ayumi had for Kagome. She wanted to know many things but a lot of the questions Kagome was unable to answer. That didn't satisfy Ayumi one bit but she could tell Kagome was growing weary of the subject so she didn't ask any more questions. But Kagome's next words surprised her.

"I…Sesshoumaru says he betrayed us. Inuyasha I mean. He says Inuyasha was in league with Naraku and that's why Naraku knew where we were camped and how he knew to attack when Inuyasha wasn't there! But…but that's just not possible! Naraku hurt Inuyasha so much 50 years ago I just…I don't think its possible Inuyasha would willingly be working with the person who took everything away from him!"

Ayumi smiled gently at her daughter and leaned forward to take Kagome's hand in her own, the only reassuring gesture she could think of that didn't require sight. "There you have it then Kagome. Why would he willingly work with an enemy? Maybe there's more to the situation than you realize?"

"Ah…." Kagome ran the idea through her mind over and over again but the only possibility that came to mind was Kikyo. Kikyo was the only reason Inuyasha would ever betray them all like that for. Only Kikyo. She bit her lip. But Inuyasha already knew Kikyo was working for Naraku. Could Naraku have offered Inu something having to do with Kikyo, something so nearly impossible it had to be real? But Inuyasha had to know better than to believe something like that, he had to know Naraku was only out for himself!

"You have your answer, no? Now then, how about we cook up your favorite meal for dinner?"

"Thank-you Mama…" she said softly, turning slightly in an attempt to follow the older women as she moved around the room.

The reunion with her family put Kagome in a state of ease she hadn't felt since the night Inuyasha had disappeared, a kind of peace she hadn't known she could still feel. Souta had been ecstatic to see her again, full of stories and joke he'd learned from friends at school. He'd ascended to the next grade as well. And gramps was his usual self, reading out illnesses that she could use as an excuse for school. She didn't tell gramps or Souta that she was going back tonight; Kagome would have loved to stay, to spend more time with them and to see all of her friends again but she knew better. She couldn't stay here until Naraku had been defeated and the jewel restored.

After Souta and gramps had gone to sleep, Ayumi walked with her daughter to the Shrine and the storage room behind them. She had Kagome wait outside for a few minutes as she rummaged around the place, looking for something she was sure the girl could use, even if she was blind. It would just require a little bit of…training. When she finally found the weapon Ayumi breathed a small sigh of relief and walked back out to meet Kagome. Taking her daughters hands, she wrapped them around the large wooden staff, running her hands up and down the smooth wood. "This will help you. You won't be able to shoot arrows anymore but you won't be defenseless once you learn how to use it." And Ayumi had no doubt Sesshoumaru would teach her. After all, he was the one who'd brought her the weapon.

"Thank you Mama!" she said, wrapping her arms around the older woman and holding her close.

Ayumi didn't say anything as she let go of her daughter but kissed Kagome on the cheek. She studied Kagome for a moment, running her fingers down her darling daughters hair and face, remembering every feature. "Come back to us Kagome," she said softly as she stepped back, letting her hands drop.

She tightened her grasp on the staff and looked up at her mother's general direction. Kagome wanted so badly to be able to tell the older woman that 'of course I'll come home,' but she kept her words to herself. She had no idea how her next adventures in the feudal era would pan out and Kagome wasn't going to make a promise she wasn't sure she could keep.

Ayumi sighed, shook her head and turned to go inside. She wasn't going to let Kagome hear her cry.

When her mother let her go and went back inside, Kagome felt her heart breaking. Gods she wanted to make Mama happy, make it to where the older woman wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. But the only way she knew of to do those things was to leave behind the duty she had in the feudal era. She'd shattered the jewel and unearthed this whole mess with Naraku; it was her duty to make it all right.

She sighed and took a step forward only to stop as she realized she didn't know how to get to the well house. It was times like these, just the little things, that made Kagome want to cry and stop trying. She'd lived at the shrine her whole life and knew where everything was yet now she couldn't…

"Let's go sis." Souta was beside her suddenly, grabbing her hand and leading her towards the well house. He didn't bother to give her a chance to object.

"Thank you, Souta," she whispered, gently squeezing his hand, more to comfort herself than anything else.

He'd been watching the whole scene from his bedroom window and he knew she was going to leave again. He may have only been 15 but he understood enough to know that Kagome had a heavy burden on her shoulders, like she was carrying the weight of the world, Atlas. He headed down the stairs the moment his mother left her side, knowing this might be the last chance he'd get to see his big sister again. Mama had smiled sadly at him as she wiped futilely at tears. She hadn't said anything to him as she passed; he thought she wanted him to make his own opinions.

"Anything for my big sis," he said jokingly, "Just don't expect a loan or anything." He pulled open the well house door and stepped inside, slowing so that she could get down the steps and led her the few steps to the well.

She laughed and leaned forward to set her hands against the rough old wood, almost caressing it. No matter how much pain she'd been in or how many times she'd left and never wanted to come back again, Kagome had never been able to hate the well or it's magic. She turned slightly to her little brother and reached out to him. When her fingers brushed against the soft fabric of his shirt and yet still had to travel a distance to reach his shoulders, she felt something sad build inside of her. "You've gotten taller again," she breathed as she continued to move her hands up until she was touching his face. She knew what he looked like of course but to be able to remember what he looked like through feeling, she never wanted to forget.

Her words had tears choking Souta and he had to fight himself to keep them from falling. She looked so sad. His hands were shaking as he reached up and moved her hands slowly across his face, knowing she needed this as much as she needed to see. The siblings stayed like that for a moment before Souta pulled Kagome into a tight hug. "Be careful, okay sis?"

Kagome felt relief swim through her at his question. This was a promise she could keep. "I will. Take care of Mama and Gramps?"

Souta let go of her and chuckled, though his throat was still tight. "Of course."

Neither of them said anything else as he helped her into the well and made sure she made it to the button before handing her the staff. Magic engulfed her.

When she landed on the other side, Kagome instinctively reached forward to grab the vines she'd always used to pull herself up, only to stop as realization hit once again that she wouldn't be able to do that anymore and tighten her grip on her new weapon. She was about to call out to Rion when something stopped her, a feeling she hadn't felt in a very long time. Evil. "Rion?" she called out, her voice soft as she warily spread her miko powers out around her.

Suddenly someone was in the well with her and before she could do anything she was wrapped tightly in a pair of arms and her mouth was covered. The tight embrace pushed the wood of the staff harshly against her and she shuddered. Before she could try and fight back her feet left the ground and they were in the air. As soon as they were on the ground again she began to squirm in her captors grasp. She'd be damned if she got taken captive and held prisoner again.

"Please, Milady!" The voice was quietly pleading and so very familiar that Kagome stopped moving immediately.

"Rion! What's going on? Where's Naraku?!" Quietly but insistently she pushed against his arms and made him let go of her.

He seemed surprised to learn she knew he was trying to attack them but he sighed and shook his head. Of course she knew it was Naraku; she'd been trying to kill him for 4 years. "We're surrounded."

She took in that information and shuddered. She hadn't even gotten half-way through her training and couldn't see and there was no way Rion could fight and protect her at the same time. There was only one thing she knew of that would keep them both safe but she had one more question to ask. "Do we have any allies to help us, right here, right now?"

Rion shook his head no but then cursed and answered her vocally. "No." He surveyed the area around them and once again cursed his luck. The bastards had surrounded the area only hours after Lady Kagome had gone down the well. He could of course gone to get reinforcements but there was always the chance the girl would come back through her well before he could get back in time to protect her. Not that the evil hanyou or his minions would have let him leave anyway. He would have attempted to fight and kill them before Kagome could come back but he was not fool enough to take on so many enemies alone. He was strong, but not that strong. He put his hands on his ward's shoulders and pulled her back against him. It was the only thing he would be able to do but before he could say or do anything, she'd elbowed him in the kidney and stepped away from him. It was more from surprise than pain that he let her go. "Milady, what…"

"Leave," she said softly as she closed her sightless eyes and spread her senses out around her as far as they would go. "Go get Sesshoumaru-sama." She was confident Naraku would only allow one or two of his mindless monsters to follow after and kill Rion. But she knew Rion could more than handle it.

"Lady Kagome! I will do no…" He trailed off when he saw the pink glow that slowly started to surround the girl and understanding dawned. There were many things Rion did not know and did not care to know about Miko's and their dangerous abilities but the one thing he did know was a story his father had told his children to scare them. A story about a Miko who had been completely surrounded and alone, a miko who had allowed herself to be completely enveloped in her powers to kill her enemies. His father never told him if the Miko survived. What Kagome was going to do would destroy their enemies but also protect them both. Assuming she was able to live long enough to do what she needed to. "Very well."

She didn't respond to that as she looked for the best opening behind her eyes. It was the closest she'd come to having her vision back and she was very thankful for that. Even with no eye sight, the way she had her senses spread allowed her to see every living youkai in the area. Rion hadn't lied about being completely surrounded but there was a space directly behind them that he could get through with little to know trouble, aside from a tail. Smiled coldly, she gave him his order. "Go. Behind us."

Rion hesitated for only a moment before he sighed again. "Understood." Turning his back to her, he muttered a prayer and did as she asked, speeding past the mindless Oni to the opening Kagome had pointed out. A few of the demons rushed towards him and he disposed of them easily. Three more followed after him as he raced through the wall of demons, leaving the miko behind to face them on her own. Gods, Sesshoumaru was going to have his head.

As soon as Kagome was sure Rion was out of range, she spread a barrier around the entire area of demons. "Naraku." Even as she spoke she continued to pull forth more and more power, the pink glow surrounding her growing larger and more vibrant by the second.

"Hahahahah! Very good Miko!" His voice was the same as always, sinister and dark, filled with evil intentions.

Very subtly she turned her head in the direction of his voice, making note of where he was. "I'm not sure what you're talking about," she said quietly. The power was beginning to burn and she could feel the youkai coming closer. A small smile formed and she brought the barrier in closer.

Naraku could feel the magic brush over him and he snarled. Stupid Miko. He knew exactly what she was planning to do now. He wanted to curse his stupidity. This would be the end of it for now. He raised a hand and signaled to the Oni. "Kill her." He smiled at the girl even though he knew she couldn't see it. "It's over Miko."

The monsters moved as one and the smallest of the bunch reached her first. They converged on her, some of the closest to her dying upon coming in contact with her spreading, pink, palpable power. Of course, they were the weakest. Frowning, she swung the staff her mother had given her out around her and held strong as she heard the pain, agonized screams of the youkai being purified. But just as she knew it would, a youkai got past her and slashed its claws down her back before turning into a pile of dust. Just a little longer, she thought as she swung the weapon around again. Another of the beasts slashed at her arms and stomach at the same time, hitting before it too turned into a pile of dust. She was getting dizzy and the demons were getting stronger, not just dropping to dust.

Finally she felt the pull she'd been waiting for, the only trick she'd ever learned from Kikyo. Of course it would be an attack that could kill her. She shook those thoughts out of her mind and concentrated again on the pull she felt from the center of her being. Once again a demon snagged its claws in her, raking against her collar bone and that was the last straw. Pain seared through her and with an agonized scream, she unleashed her power.

Purification exploded in and around her, pouring from her body, ripping its way through her and killing any demon within reach of her. The pure power burned, even her and she was forced to pull her senses back in lest they be completely destroyed. Screams echoed around her and another demon managed to slice into her, her leg this time, before disintegrating where it stood. It took several more minutes before all the youkai within the barrier were destroyed.

When she was sure they were all gone, Kagome allowed her knees to buckle and drew her barrier in closer around herself. She managed to stay upright by digging her staff deep into the ground and leaning most of her weight on it and her numerous wounds were the only things keeping her awake and aware. She didn't know why her miko powers weren't healing her and was entirely too tired to care. The only thing on her mind was waiting for Sesshoumaru to arrive and take her back to his castle.

o.O.o

Sesshoumaru withheld his temper from the bear youkai running beside him and wanted to curse the girl. After all the trouble he'd gone to keeping her safe she was throwing it all away by sending her guard to fetch him when he should have been protecting her. He understood her logic of course, appreciated the rationality she used in to come to such quick decisions. But how was he supposed to keep her safe when she didn't do what she was told? He cursed. Foolish onna.

On his other side was Toshimata, his face expressionless as he ran, none of the jovial, usual attitude of his breed present. The kitsune seemed fully focused on reaching the girl though Sesshoumaru wondered if that had more to do with calming those under his command; he thought it was interesting all who had assisted in the girls rescue had grown attached to her. He sighed and shook his head, scenting the air. They were almost there.

Before any of the three realized what was happening, a large wave of power washed over them, stopping them in their tracks. It had a spicy, cinnamon scent and it tingled when it brushed against his skin, burning almost. Her power. Letting loose a harsh explicative Sesshoumaru started towards her again. He had not realized the girl had such power. He wasn't even sure she could survive after letting loose something like that. No doubt any weak youkai had been killed by that aftershock. Yet another curse. That wave was only an aftershock.

When they entered the clearing of the Bone Eaters Well, Sesshoumaru skidded to a stop, his eyes widening slightly. The ground was littered with dust, wind lifting and dropping the youkai remains. There had to have been thousands of demons. He turned his eyes to the girl, the soft pink glow surrounding her slowly diminishing as she leaned against her staff. When he reached her he did not hesitate to kneel beside her and wrapped his hands around her, both of them holding up her weapon. He was not sure how much of her power she had left but it was obviously not enough to heal the numerous wounds on her body. The moment he touched her, the glow disappeared and she slumped, falling forward into him.

o.O.o

She opened one eye first and then the other only when she was sure it wasn't bright. Her head was killing her. And then she remembered it didn't matter because she couldn't see anyway. A cynical smirk formed and she raised her arm to lay over her face. It took a minute before she realized she wasn't sure in the least. It was odd. Those injuries should have left Kagome too weak to even yawn. Glancing at the person next to her bed she smiled slightly. "You gave me some of your yōki, didn't you." Even as the words left her mouth she knew it was true; she could feel Sesshoumaru's powers racing through her.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes at her before nodding slightly. He hadn't expected the girl to notice but she'd proved him wrong once again. For the first time in a long time Sesshoumaru was glad the girl wasn't youkai and therefore didn't understand the implications of what he'd done. His yōki would now remain a part of her soul for the rest of her short life. It would also keep any male youkai trying to court her at bay as she would have his scent. And it would mark the girl as his until she turned down his suit. Not that he was going to tell her any of that.

Kagome pushed herself up to lean back against some of the pillows behind her. Though she was physically healed, admittedly she was still tired. It was a small fact she was going to keep to herself. Almost instinctively she spread her senses out around the room, her only way of really seeing. The only other living presence in the room aside from her own was Sesshoumaru's. "Is Rion okay?"

"Hn. Yes."

She scowled at that answer and turned to him, suspicious. "What did you do to him? Did you fire him?"

It was his turn to scowl and he did not bother to hide it. She was the only other one in the room. "For what reason?"

"Because I made him follow my orders instead of yours." Kagome couldn't help but to feel a little smug at that thought. She never bested Sesshoumaru in anything.

A quiet snort of amusement escaped him. As if the girl could control his underlings. "His orders were to follow your orders in keeping you safe." Besides, if Rion had not left the area he would have turned into dust with all of the other mindless oni and Sesshoumaru would have brought the demon back with Tenseiga only to kill him again for idiocy.

"Oh." She pouted for a minute and then scowled again, turning in his direction. "You didn't answer my question!" she accused.

"Hn. No."

"Sesshoumaru!"

He smirked again and leaned back in his chair. "His mate is in child-birth."

"Oh. I hope she's okay." Kagome was quiet again, twisting her fingers in the hem of the blanket as she thought. If Rion was with his mate then he wasn't going to be able to train her anymore. Biting her lip, she voiced her thought. "Who's going to teach me how to fight then?"

At this, Sesshoumaru leaned forward, the rare smile on his face though his eyes were anything but kind. More sadistically amused than anything. If she'd been able to see him, Kagome surely would have tried to escape the room. "This Sesshoumaru."

Ch. _Fin_

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Review Responses –

Pandora-of-the-south: I haven't really decided whether or not or sights going to come back or not. I'm still kinda 50/50 on that, lol. And this chapter should answer your other question. ^_^ Lemme know what you think!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

She panted, leaning heavily against the wall and keeping her head bowed as she tried to get a good sense of the room. It was driving her nuts. He could move and position himself directly behind her and she wouldn't even be able to tell until it was too late. He was making himself virtually invisible to her senses.

"Listen, Miko!" The words were quiet but forceful and Kagome could hear a small bit of poorly veiled amusement.

"Oh shove it!" she muttered and took a deep breath before he knocked it all out of her, shoving her to the other side of the room in a harsh tumble. Absently she could have sworn he chuckled.

With a grunt she scuttled out of the way just in time to avoid being grabbed and muttered under her breath as she moved quickly to push herself up. "Listen to what? Huh? Doesn't make any freaking sound when he moves and then he just has to go and make his presence invisible. Damned arrogant youkai thinking I have freaking youkai powers…."

This was all of course audible to said arrogant demon and he only smirked. "If foolish onnas would cease their useless complaints and actually listen with more than just their ears, then foolish onnas would not be tossed around like a rag doll."

"Ugh. Bite me, Sesshoumaru!" The words had an unexpected result.

Her phrasing and the way she was looking at him, despite there was no light in her eyes, had him freezing and idly entertaining the idea of actually biting her. Would she know that was a way of assenting to his suit? He blinked and caught her foot before it managed to slam into the side of his head. Apparently not.

Easily he tossed her to the side. He watched as her chest heaved with each breath as she lay on the hard mat of the dojo, her face shining with sweat. He could see bruises starting to form on her arms and he knew she must be sore from the number of times he'd sent her catapulting into the mat. Even as he wondered why she did not call for a break or full cease of their activities, he admired her for it. Most humans males wouldn't have been able to keep going after the beating he'd given her, let alone a woman. Of course she was no match for him and probably never would be; so long as she was adequate in protecting herself though, at least until someone arrived to help her, he didn't care. "Get up Miko."

Three weeks had passed since Kagome confronted Naraku and his horrible collection of monsters and unleashed the huge burst of purification. After waking up to Sesshoumaru and then quickly falling back asleep, her powers had been inaccessible. She'd been limited to the senses of a mere human and Sesshoumaru seemed to be the more glad of it. He was certainly using it as an excuse to toss her around his damn dojo; and of course to assign more guards to her. Where as before she'd been able to sense anyone or thing who came within twenty feet of her, she was now limited to hearing and smell, like any other human. It was frustrating. Sesshoumaru and the guards were the only ones who were aware of it and their Lord threatened them to keep it that way or else.

Grunting, she closed her eyes, rolled over onto her stomach and pushed herself up. Slowly, she was getting better at listening for the near silent youkai and was learning it wasn't him she was trying to hear exactly, but the atmosphere around him as he did so. The way the wind wrapped around his body and whistled as he thrust out a leg to kick her, the sound of the fabric of his clothing as it rustled; even the near imperceptible sound of his feet as they padded against the padded floor. And just when she would begin to think she'd figured him out and that his moves were predictable, he'd change his routine. It was entirely infuriating.

Focusing, even though it didn't make a difference, she closed her eyes and remained absolutely still, before reaching out a hand to block one of his own clawed limbs and taking a step back. She missed the next one of course and with a muttered oath, hit the mat again.

It went on like this for two more hours, adding to the three already spent before the sun rose. Finally she tumbled to the mat and could move no more. It took a moment for her to focus on him and she turned her head only minutely to face him. "I don't think I can move anymore," she muttered.

Unbeknown to her, he knelt a little to her right and was studying her, once again watching the way her body moved with each breath and taking note of her sweat covered form. When she reached the point where she would be fully trained, she would be a formidable ally. And when her powers returned, even more so. Sesshoumaru had no doubt about it. And that was why he would mate her. One of the most powerful Miko in the country mated with the most powerful Youkai in the country…they would be unstoppable.

o.O.o

It was raining outside and for reasons Kagome could not fathom, it caused something inside of her to ache. Though she could not see it, she imagined the sky was gray with heavy clouds, probably so dark as to be gun-metal gray. From the sound it made as it pounded against the wood over-hang and the way soft cool droplets rushed against her feet on occasion, she knew it was torrential in all its wet glory.

She was leaning against the open doorway, her legs curled up beside her as she listened to the sounds. Part of her remembered the comfort rain had been when she was merely a child in the future, knowing rain was coming in the summer months to release them from the infernal heat that plagued Japan and the rest of the world, quite thoroughly. As a little girl, she'd never been afraid of thunderstorms or monsoons. It was just a part of life. The unexplainable ache in her heart now confused her all the more because of that.

Since her last training session with Sesshoumaru two days ago, the rain dominated with a vengeance. Though she knew his gardens were beautiful from memory, she imagined now they were sodden with water and mud and no doubt, if the gardeners hadn't been thorough, a few of the plants would have to be replaced. And with a laugh, Kagome realized how off-track her thoughts were. From childhood memories to botanicals, she couldn't seem to keep one line of thought for long.

Her mind drifted to the host who was currently locked away in his study with numerous other officials of state and some other such boring positions and he'd been in there for two days, coming up for air only for refreshments; or rather, having the maids bring the food and drinks to them, as it were.

Because of this, she'd been bored out of her mind, trying to occupy herself as the rain cascaded down around them, trapped her inside. Rion, her usual guard, was still at his ancestral home, where his mate was giving birth. She hadn't heard from Toshimata since he'd first brought her to Sesshoumaru's not-so-humble abode and Soaran, her only female guard, was always busy training the younger recruits. And Soutan was apparently gone with Toshimata, though Sesshoumaru refused to tell her where or when either one of them would be back.

This left her with Dijore and Relevon; she could tell they were strong and young, from the way they moved and the way they spoke, as if they could barely contain their actions, either individually or together, they always seemed to be in the midst of a hurricane, wrecking havoc wherever they went. Dijore, older than Relevon by 2 minutes and 14 seconds, was the more out-going of the two, often the one to take advantage of a situation immediately instead of thinking it through. He joked around more than his brother did and was always the one to make light of a situation, whereas Relevon always made the time to think things through before acting on a well-planned action.

Though her miko senses were on the down-low at the moment, even her paltry human ears told her they were approaching, and moving quickly. Though cats, their steps were anything but light and the speed with which they were coming towards here was slightly unsettling. Taking a deep breath, Kagome carefully pushed herself to her feet and kept a hand on the doorjamb as she turned to face the entrance to the room, putting her back to the rain as she waited.

A twin course of 'My Lady,' and Kagome knew they were bowing before her, no matter how many times she'd told them it wasn't necessary. Before she could even tell them to stand though, they were at her side with Dijore leading her out of the room and Relevon keeping an eye on their back.

"We must hurry My Lady," the elder said, his grip on her arm tightening slightly as he led her through a black maze of twists and turns until Kagome was completely at a loss as to where she was.

The words worried her yet the way they were spoken was confusing; he didn't sound like he was in any particular hurry and Kagome was sure there was nothing wrong within the Palace walls. Sesshoumaru's guards were all too well trained to let such a thing happen. But she couldn't figure out what was going on and before she could ask any questions, she could hear voices raised in shouting, the heat of the anger more than evident; yet neither voice was Sesshoumaru's.

Once again, before Kagome could ask what was happening, she was pushed into action; literally speaking. A door was slid open, the yelling became louder and she was gently but firmly pushed into a room, with only a quick comment of, "Sesshoumaru-sama needs your help, My Lady," before she was tossed to the lions.

Upon her entrance, all speaking, yelling including ceased immediately. It was like being dunked in a bucket of cold water, for her at least. Though she couldn't prove if, Kagome knew without a doubt that every single person in the room was youkai and that was like a silent alarm going off inside her to gently nudge her senses and wake them up. Unable to stop the small gasp from escaping her, Kagome took a startled step back as the yòki filled the room and nearly swallowed her whole in its intensity. Through it all falling down around her, she could still pick out Sesshoumaru's distinctive power though. And just as quickly as her senses, they were gone, as if giving her a teasing hint of what she was missing.

She was almost glad it was gone because even just that little hint nearly over-whelmed her. Clearly recognizing the situation she was in, Kagome took a small breath and prepared to apologize, but was interrupted as the yelling started up again, as if she were an inconsequential bug on the proverbial windshield. The only thing that caught her attention was the sudden presence at her side and with a quick touch to the sleeve beside hers, Kagome relaxed as Soutoun took a protective stance at her side.

"I'm not giving you my daughter you arrogant youngster!" yelled a voice directly in front of her, effectively startling her. "If you think for a minute I'm not aware of your womanizing ways and your need of money, you're out of your mind!"

"For the love of-Daria is a strong woman, unmatched by others her age in both power and intelligence. I care not about the dowry or your drivel about womanizing! I intend to take your daughter as my mate, either willing or by force!"

Kagome could feel the tension mounting between the two males and as her powers slowly started to leak back into existence, she realized they were both Inu youkai; prideful, strong and likely highly intelligent. If they were to come to blows in this office, somebody would be injured, not to mention it would be left to Sesshoumaru to sooth ruffled feathers, something he was none too skilled at. So, taking a deep breath and knowing Sesshoumaru was watching her by the way his yoki was so acutely attuned to her aura, Kagome stepped between the two bickering youkai.

Once again the arguing stopped and she felt all eyes on her as she turned blank eyes on one youkai and then the other. Clearing her throat and offering what she hoped was an apologetic smile, she said, "Please forgive me My Lords…." She trailed off, hoping they would provide their names.

Instead she felt one of them tense and take a threatening step towards her, even as he addressed his Lord. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I was not aware you kept a second human female as your pet. Does she provide more—"

"I would think good and hard before you finish that sentence My Lord, for while Sesshoumaru-sama may be bound by your treaties, I am not," she said quietly, setting a hand on his arm and allowing a gentle, harmless glow form around her body, "and I take offense at what you are suggesting about my ally and myself."

It was like instantaneous tension in the room as her purity slowly flooded the room and though it was straining, Kagome did her best to make it unthreatening and more like being wrapped in a gentle blanket. "Your names please, so I might attempt to solve this problem in Sesshoumaru-sama's stead." There was a soft release of breath behind her and Kagome assumed it was Soutan; he was always worrying about her.

Another sigh escaped from behind her and Kagome turned only minutely from the demon before her to face him. He was younger from what she could tell of his aura and though she couldn't say definitively whether or not he was perverted, she could sense an innate kindness in him. "My name is Sir Calibri Doken, Lady Miko and the man whom allows you to touch him is Sir Caeli."

There was a muttered oath and Kagome's attention was dragged back to the demon before her, both prepared and yet seemingly unaware of the danger she was in. A hand settled on top of hers, the skin only slightly loose and belying of age, but still strong and warm, and carefully picked it up to let it drop back down by her side. Though there was anger in him, and the smallest bit of humiliation, Kagome could sense no real meanness in him. "This…_pup _wishes to mate with my daughter, who I might add, is a good 60 years his junior." Calibri snorted his derisive amusement.

Hoping to keep the quiet just a tad bit longer, Kagome motioned Soutan forward. "How old would they be, Soutan, in human years?"

He thought about it for a moment, eyeing the young nobleman and pulling up his memory of Sir Caeli's daughter. "I would say, My Lady, that Sir Doken would be 32 in human years and the Lady in question…approximately four years younger than you, My Lady, also in human years."

_That is a bit young_, she thought, biting her lip a bit as she tried to think of a possible solution. She couldn't side with one without alienating the other and she had to take into consideration the pride of both youkai. Anything too easy for one would anger the other and vice versa. She smiled then, as the perfect idea took form in her mind. She turned back to Sir Caeli. "I would assume, Sir, that you have a candidate you would prefer for your daughter?"

"Yes," he said, throwing a preemptive gloating smirk at the younger dog, "One who is younger, wealthy, and stronger." There was another scoff from Calibri but Kagome was glad he held his tongue for the time being.

"Then why not have the two duel for the lady's hand? But, the winner would have to wait, say…five years to complete the contract, to give your daughter a bit more time to come to her majority? During which time, the Lady would have the option to reject the suit, if she so chose."

A stunned silence filled the room and Kagome felt most eyes on her, as if they were wondering where she'd grown a third head from, if not a second.

Finally, there was a small chuckle from what sounded like an older man and all the tension drained out of the room. His booming voice filled the room as he all but shouted his comment at Sesshoumaru. "I'm not sure where you found her my boy, but I'll be more than glad to take her off your hands, with a mind like that."

More laughter filled the room and Kagome felt the two demons at her side slowly move away from her to what she could only assume were opposite sides of the table. She relaxed only minutely and took a step back, brushing up against Soutan's chest, only half listening to the conversation at hand. "Soutan, let's go now."

His hand settled on her shoulder and he started to turn her around to leave the room, his voice quiet as he said, "Yes, M'Lady."

However, before they reached the door, a quiet voice cut through the chattering buzz of the other diplomats and stopped them both in their tracks. "Higurashi." Despite the lack of volume and the simple utterance of her last name, it came across as a demand.

Obligingly, Kagome turned in the direction of Sesshoumaru's voice and inclined her head slightly in a bow. "Yes, My Lord?"

"You may remain." The silence continued for a moment, before Sesshoumaru motioned for the talk to proceed, and everything continued without waiting for Kagome's response.

The words were uttered in his usual monotone and though they still sounded like an order, to Kagome's ears , it came off as more of a request than a demand. For a moment, she thought about refusing and returning to the solitude of her rooms and thoughts. But it was such a boring existence, sitting alone in that quiet little room. Sighing, she set a hand on Soutan's arm. "Very well, My Lord."

o.O.o

Thunder roared and lightening filled the sky as she slept unawares on the huge futon in the center of the room. As the room turned white from the fierce fulmination, a tiny thin line flashed as the light glinted on it. Even as the light faded it started to glow a murky purple color, drawing a line straight to the bed and beneath the covers. Dark blue eyes opened lifelessly, deep in a trance and slowly, covers were pushed to the side as she slid off the bed, her pale feet touching against cold marble. With stumbling steps she was led from the room, her gait that of one not fully aware of her surroundings.

But even as her body moved steadily across the chamber and to the terrace doors, her mind was screaming in protest, struggling against whatever was holding her. And slowly, ever so slowly, she could feel her powers returning, rising again to fight this new evil taking hold of her. It was leading her closer and closer to the edge of the terrace, to the rail that was only to her hips. She tried to break the cage her mind was trapped in, fighting as hard as possible to break the bonds leading her body close and closer to the edge and railing.

Her knees bumped against the cold, wet stone of the railing and terror filled her. It consumed her even as she felt her powers rising up once more in one last ditch effort to stop whatever was holding her. Power rose up out of her in a flash and it resounded throughout the castle, waking most of the residents and alerting the one it was meant to. Gold eyes flashed in annoyance and anger even as he sped through the halls to her. He didn't bother to knock but merely flung the door wide just in time to see her tumble over the balcony.

Whatever was controlling her released its hold on her as soon as she was over the edge, hurtling towards the harsh, hard ground towards death. She screamed and tried to grab onto something, but terror kept her from focusing and dulled her reflexes; her fingers slipped from the stone and she thought it was all over as air raced by her and she came closer and closer to the ground.

She couldn't keep her eyes closed, try as she might and horrified, imagined the earth coming closer and closer. But just before she hit the ground, her fall was cushioned by a single strong arm and a hard chest. Her momentum caused them both to go tumbling to the ground, but she was shaking, tensely holding onto him even as she felt him stand and set her feet upon the ground. With rain slathering down around them and fear still thrumming through her veins, it took Kagome several minutes to realize that whatever had happened, her miko powers had reasserted themselves at the last possible moment. She could feel them working slowly throughout her body and clearing out whatever poison had control of her.

Though she was still shaking, Kagome was able to take a step back from him, well aware of the fact that though she held to him, Sesshoumaru had long since let go of her. She could sense the anger in him, burning bright, just as strongly as the danger and the yoki hovering around him. "Sesshoumaru…someone just tried to kill me." Her voice shook as she crouched in the rain, running her hands over her legs and feet in search of whatever it was that led her from her bed to the terrace and on. She didn't feel it at first as she ran a hand over her right ankle, gossamer thin as it was and soft, but she felt it the second time down and quickly nabbed the silver of thread before she lost it, and stood.

Rain still pounded down around them, slashing into the ground without abandon and completely ignored by the two who stood underneath its downfall. Carefully, she held her hand out to him, the thread contained inside and when he took the thread from her, his fingers caressing over the skin on her knuckles as he drew his hand away. He examined the thread carefully, with both his regular senses and his yoki and though he could still feel the magic emanating from it, he could not trace it. It was useless and he did not relish the idea of it regaining any power, so he slowly released a little bit of poison from his claws and watched as it melted in his palm. Turning back to the girl, he watched her, taking in her pale countenance and the way her body shook, from both terror and no doubt, cold. Rage quickly and stealthily took a hold of him. "You will not concern yourself with the matter. Return to you room."

He moved to brush past her, but she moved surprisingly quick and grabbed a hold of his arm, outrage clear on her face by her downcast lips and the v of her brows. "Somebody just tried to drag me off your damn balcony and you're telling me not to concern myself with it? Are you out of your ever loving mind?" she demanded, indignation ringing in her voice. Kagome was well aware of the fact that she was becoming hysterical and though usually she would try and contain such a silly emotion, she was beside herself with fear and anger. "I'd like to see you just ignore an attempt on your life, _My Lord_!" Though the words were said with an honorific, it was clear they were meant to be derogatory.

His eyes narrowed on her face, before dropping to the hands caught on his arm with a look of disdain, though such pretenses were useless when she could not see them. Slowly, he reached out and pried her hand from his arm, non to gently. "In future, Miko, you will refrain from accosting This Sesshoumaru in such a manner." His words were harsh and sharp, cutting through to Kagome easily. "You would do well to remember your station in this House." In growing annoyance, he could feel the numerous youkai now awake throughout the house, curious eyes and ears tuned into the conversation, those close enough, watching. "Return to you rooms." He could show no extra courtesy to the girl here, not with so many unwelcome, interfering gossips interred in his house.

She bowed her head and hid the pain his words caused, unable to keep a fighting attitude in the face of such unforgiving words. Her shoulders sagging, Kagome nodded and bowed fully. "Yes My Lord."

Something inside the demon Lord twisted, painfully so, as the same defeated, empty look came onto her face as he'd seen when she'd first arrived at his house all those weeks ago, blind and alone with no one to defend her. It took a moment for the Lord to find the right word to suit the emotion she seemed put out and when he did, the beast inside him roared in fury, unable or unwilling, Sesshoumaru wasn't sure which, to accept that one under his care could feel such a thing.

Her face kept returning to his mind as he watched her walk into the house, the helpless, unbridled fear stark in his mind as he tried to decipher if it was him the Miko feared.

o.O.o

(The Next Day)

She was sulking; Kagome knew it and she knew Sesshoumaru did as well. Which was probably why he hadn't sent anyone to fetch her for anything, not even his oh so precious training. Leaning back against the head board of the bed, Kagome pulled her knees up to her chest and tried to focus on something else, namely what had tried to drag her over the edge of the balcony. She was almost positive it was Naraku, though she couldn't figure out how he had managed to attach that cursed string to her foot; he would have had to been right next to her to do it and it had been ages since she'd been that close to the disgustingly evil hanyou.

It was possible he'd taken control of one of the delegates that now resided in Sesshoumaru's courts. As soon as the thought struck her, it made sense. They were all leaving today and had Sesshoumaru not rescued her from the fall, she would have been dead and Sesshoumaru would have been none the wiser. But a thought kept returning to her mind, rubbing against her consciousness in a way that was not ignorable. Because at the moment when she'd started her freefall over the edge, she'd felt him. Inuyasha. And her heart cringed to think that he would have something to do with trying to kill her.

Almost a year ago, she'd resolved to move on, romantically speaking and she'd been able to see the understanding in her hanyou friends eyes. She'd pretended it hadn't hurt and when she'd seen the grief right next to the love, she didn't have to imagine quite so hard. She knew Inuyasha would never be her, not with Kikyo still around and Kagome had long since accustomed herself to that and moved on. But he was still a friend, as close to a brother as one could get without actually sharing blood. He would never try and kill her.

Even as she thought that though, she jerked to attention has she felt him again, calling to her through her powers as a demon would to a miko. What did that mean? Clambering off her bed and nearly slipping in the process, she near to raced out of the room, before rational invaded her mind and reminded her of the night before and her lingering doubts about her companion. She hesitated for a moment, before turning back into her room and grabbed her staff from the side of the door, its energy signal bright in her mind. She moved easily as her senses spread about the palace, telling her where everything and everyone was. She would not be interrupted or stopped.

o.O.o

Sesshoumaru sat silently at the head of the table, watching each of his vassals squirm uncomfortably as he eyed them. He was no fool and he knew good and well that one of them had attempted to kill the girl last night, even if it hadn't been directly. He still hadn't spoken to the girl, unwilling to put up with her brooding activity and unable to, even if he'd been willing. With this many peers of his land around, he could not indulge even Rin. He had to be the Killing Perfection. It was why he preferred to keep Rin, and now Higurashi, out of the way while such people were intent on invading his castle.

Impassively, his eyes turned to the man who sat at the foot of the table, quiet and calm as if not a thing in the world was wrong. Sir Bandon, holder of the Keep in the north of the Western Lands, with no mate or pups to speak of and only a handful of denizens to keep track of and provide for, had nothing to lose and no one to keep an eye on him. Sesshoumaru had never really been drawn to him in the first place, considering the false gleam in the younger demons eye.

Sesshoumaru was not a hopeful man, he did not rely on wishes to get him through situations. Though today he had rather wanted Bandon to admit to his treachery, to make things a tad bit less complicated. Narrowing his eyes, Sesshoumaru called on his senses and was able to see the slim thread of webbing attached to the man's shoulder. This time he did sigh and easily pushed himself to his feet. "Stand, Bandon."

Though nervous chatter had filled the room before as the vassals spoke between themselves, it went silent almost immediately and all eyes turned to the young demon at the foot of the table.

Bandon stilled for a moment, his tea cup halfway to his lips, before he slowly set it down and just as slowly, almost lazily actually, stood from the table, a quizzical look on his face. "Yes, My Lord?" Though his features were properly aligned to form the confused expression, there was no emotion in his eyes; more rather, it was like looking into a void.

Sesshoumaru contemplated for a moment, toying with the idea of outright killing the man in front of all the delegates and reminding them of his position as their Leader. But he could not blame Bandon fully for something he clearly was not in control of. Sighing, he settled on the latter. It would not do to kill someone unjustly. With a flick of his wrist, his green poison whip was released and he slashed it at the web sticking to the young demon, who didn't flinch as the weapon came flying at him. The web fluttered uselessly to the floor and light came back into Bandon's eyes. "This Sesshoumaru releases you from all duties your position calls for, including but not exclusive of, your title, your lands, and your position in these Lands. You will leave. Now."

Confusion was evident on the man's face, genuine this time, but he knew better than to go against the Killing Perfection and so with a hesitant nod and not a word in his defense, he fled the room, slamming into what he assumed was a guard, going by the livery.

Soutan rushed into the room, automatically bowing even though he was in a hurry. "Sesshoumaru-sama, I'm sorry but it's urgent. Kagome-sama is missing."

o.O.o

She leaned heavily against the nearest tree, resting to catch her breath as she tugged her senses to the forefront and took a quick survey of the meadow before. Standing on the outskirts, she could hear nothing and as her senses brushed across the numerous tiny lives of the flowers and wood, and the few minuscule demons and small animals that resided in and around the meadow, she let out a sight of disappointment. When she'd left that morning by horseback, guiding the animal with a small pull of magic, Inuyasha's presence had been strong at the front of her mind, calling to her miko abilities shamelessly. She'd known, after leaving the protection of Sesshoumaru's castle, that she was on her own, that she was very likely walking into a trap. But the allure of her meeting her best friend again was entirely too tempting to ignore.

But now she was beginning to regret coming here by herself and she knew that leaving Sesshoumaru behind had been a horrible mistake. Even as the thought crossed her mind, Kagome snapped to attention when she felt another person on the other side of the meadow. Instinct warred with emotion, and her hear won out. She stepped into the flowered clearing and tried to focus her senses on whoever it was stood opposite her. Recognition bloomed and with a contented sigh, she raced across the field and wrapped Inuyasha in a jubilant hug. "Inuyasha! Where have you been? I'm so glad you're alright!..." she continued on in this fashion, asking questions, automatically running her hands along his body to search for injuries. It wasn't until she noticed the tears leaking from her eyes, that she realized he hadn't uttered a word to her, nor returned her embrace. "Inu…yasha?"

Slowly and steadily, she felt his clawed hands working their way up her arms until he was gripping her upper arms, a bit too firmly. But she ignored it and focused her attention back on him.

She heard something unintelligible and when she realized he was trying to speak to her, Kagome took another step closer to him, tilting her neck to the side so his mouth was closer to his ear. "What is it, Inuyasha?" Suddenly his grip on her arms became unbearably tight and she cried out, trying to pull away from him.

"Kago…me….Run! Get away….from….me!" The words were disjointed, as if he were trying to fight for each word that left his mouth.

There was a part of her that didn't want to understand, objecting to the very words that left his lips even as her heart started a pitter-patter of fear. He wouldn't harm her; he couldn't possibly. They were best friends and he was supposed to protect her, not hurt her. But even as those ragged thoughts raced across her harried mind, his claws pressed into the sides of her arms and before she could even think to try and pull away from him, he was tossing her to the other side of the field, nearly into the woods again.

She lay in a disoriented pile of limbs and clothing, her staff pressing into her back as the dust settled on the ground around her. There was no pain yet, for the simple reason that her body had instinctively rolled to try and protect herself. But she could feel him coming towards her, the same angry, irrational movements that he was known for. She rolled out of the way just in time as his hand slashed through the dirt where she'd previously been laying. Springing to her feet, ignoring the pain ripping through her heart as she stood still, listening for his movements, her hands moved of their own accord and drew the staff from her back, holding it in a stance she'd not been trained for.

There was a roar of outrage as his hands came up with nothing but dirt and she could feel the youkai in him taking control, felt him turning towards her, the power in him uncontained, mingling with a thread of pure evil and hatred. She tried to focus on it, tried to understand what was driving him to this, but it took her attention off of the danger at hand and once again, Kagome found herself hurtling across the meadow. Before her body could hit the ground, he caught her in midair and slashed at her back. She couldn't stop the scream from escaping, even as she wriggled out of his grasp and once again tumbled to the ground in a heap, her blood dripping.

Rational returned and she focused fully on her opponent, even though it pained her to call him that. She stood and listened, much as she had only four days before.

_Pay attention, Miko, not to the sounds I make in my movements, but to the sounds I disturb._

She was still angry with the arrogant demon lord, but self-preservation reigned over that and she dutifully paid attention. At first she heard nothing and so focused on listening was she that he was able to catch her unawares, knocking her backward. The defensive grasp she held on the staff as the only reason his claws did not meet her chest. Three more times he managed to toss her around and she earned a few more injuries for her troubles as the sound of her own heartbeat raced in her ears.

But then she heard it, the whistle of wind as he moved through the air. She took a quick step back and raised the staff offensively, knocking his hand to the side and following with a quick kick to the side of the head, which he blocked effortlessly. His clothing whispered as he lunged at her and she dove to the left, rolling on the ground and avoiding him again as he slashed at her arms. A slight tremor on the ground, barely noticeable as he ran towards her, energy gathering in one hand, detectable with her own miko abilities. Quickly she ducked, his hands arching over her head with an attack meant to rip out ones jugular. She lunged out with her staff and knocked his feet out from under him, but he recovered with a back flip.

Kagome knew she wasn't going to win, just as she knew that he would kill her before too much longer. She could already feel herself tiring, her back aching horribly from his first attack and her powers weakening the longer the encounter lasted. There must have been some kind of poison on his claws because he was spreading throughout her system, making her feel more tired than she actually was, attempting to take away her will to survive.

But suddenly there was no movement in the meadow and Kagome jerked to attention, spreading her senses out as far as they would go until they latched on the still figure not ten feet from her. She hesitated, then took a step back and then another, weary of whatever game her friend now played. "Why are you doing this Inuyasha? Why are you attacking me?" Pain resounded in her voice as she yelled at him, but she was unable to keep it hidden as the feeling of betrayal raced through her.

There was silence for a moment and then he was in front of her, her staff flying to the other side of the meadow as he picked her up by the neck, his claws digging into her neck. Instinctively she began to pull on her purity, summoning it as quickly as possible in a last ditch attempt to safe herself. She could feel it heating her skin, warm at first and then growing painfully hot. Hissing, he dropped her and she scuttled away from him, trying to get to her staff, but a hand caught her ankle and began to drag her further away from the weapon.

"It's a pity you weren't more of a use, my dear, I would have liked to have another miko in my collection." Naraku's voice issued forth from her best friends lips and tears gathered at her eyes as she began to struggle in earnest, digging her fingers into the loose dirt he dragged her through. "You'll only make things worse if you do that," he said absently, his grip tightening reflexively on her ankle.

"Go to Hell, Naraku!" She snarled and with a vicious kick with her free foot, she knocked herself free and stood quickly, immediately erecting a small barrier around herself.

He laughed and something in her twisted with anguish at the sound of it mixing with Inuyasha's voice. "I've been there Miko, and it's not a place I will ever return to." He stopped where he was and glanced back at her as she focused on the sound of his voice. "In fact, Miko, it's where you'll be going any minute now." His voice was thoughtful as he added, "It's a shame you failed to die last night during your fall."

"Why are you doing this?" she whispered, "You've got the jewel, there's nobody but me in your way; haven't you already got everything you want?"

There was silence for a moment and Kagome felt as if he was standing right in front of her when his voice slithered across her ears. "Because I haven't got the _whole _jewel, Miko."

She said nothing, even as she quivered on the inside. So he knew. Not even Inuyasha had known where she'd hidden that final shard. "I don't know what you're talking about," she said now, her voice surprisingly cold and steady, despite the turmoil wreaking havoc inside her.

"Be that as it may," he said silkily, "I've someone here who thinks you do."

There was silence again and for a moment, Kagome thought she was alone, that he'd left her and wasn't coming back. But just as soon as those thoughts entered her mind and relief started to fill her mind, she felt him returning, with someone else. Shock rippled through her.

"Give him the shard Kagome," said Shippou, his voice a perfect monotone as he stood plainly beside the possessed hanyou.

Her barrier faltered and it was all the prodding Naraku needed as he rushed Inuyasha's body towards her. One good slap had her sliding across the ground, struggling to get her wits about her before he had his hands around her throat, choking the life out of her. "Where is the shard, girl?"

A million thoughts passed through her mind in that one instant but the only one that remained prominent was that this was no longer Inuyasha. Her friend was long gone and he would never be able to help her again. She felt the agony of that thought weighing down on her and try though she might, there was nothing she could do to stop it. He would never laugh with her again, never protect her or call her stupid or any of the other hundreds of things that made him Inuyasha. He wasn't _there_ anymore. Her eyes closed with resolve as she once again focused on the half-demon in front of her. She knew killing him here would not rid her of Naraku, but it would free Inuyasha to rest peacefully. It was the very least she could do.

"You can search all you want, Naraku," she choked out, quickly losing air as his fingers tightened around her neck, "but I'll never give it to you." With that, she kicked out her feet again and thanked the Gods she managed to make them land harshly into his gut. His grip loosened on her neck in his surprise and Kagome used that slip to pull herself closer to the hanyou, wrapping her arms around him and jerking his face down to hers. He struggled against her, diggings Inuyasha's claws into her back.

Pain slammed through her even as she ignored it in favor of once again summoning her purity to the surface. Without a second thought, she kissed him, forcing his mouth open as a way to get inside his body. And then she released it, throwing her purification down his throat like a gauntlet. His muffled screams of agony, once again in Inuyasha's normal voice, tore her apart almost as much as she was tearing at him. But she reminded herself vaguely that this was no longer Inuyasha, but Naraku she was hurting.

o.O.o

He found her, the unmistakable scent of rain and lily's and her blood permeating the air around her as she knelt on the outer-edge of a large meadow, the sun setting behind her. He could hear her cry as she leaned over what he could now tell was the body of his half-brother.

He stiffened for a moment, a desire to punish the wench for taking his kill over-whelming him, before he squashed the anger and took in the scene around him. Though they would not have been noticeable to a human, he could see signs of battle in the destruction of flowers around them. Her staff lay about 10 feet away from him, nearly a yard from her and he cursed her foolishness. How many times had he told her to always keep a firm grip on her weapon?

Slowly, Sesshoumaru closed the distance between them until he was standing at the foot of Inuyasha's body, the miko's tears permeating the air as she hugged the corpse closer. He said not a word, but took careful stock of the injuries ranging down her back and over her arms. How was it the foolish girl always managed to come back to him injured?

He remained silent for several minutes, before the miko acknowledged his presence. "He didn't betray us. He died trying to get back to us and then Naraku took control of his body, like with Kohaku."

"He was weak."

"And yet he was so much stronger than you," she muttered, unable to turn away from him. She knew now the corpse she held in her arms was human, as it would be the only part of him still left after she'd purified him. She could imagine that glorious onyx hair, his violently violet eyes and those normal human ears that would now replace his normal appearance.

His eyes turned towards the girl and once again anger filled them and yet he tamed the emotion just as quickly as he had before. What was it about this girl that made him tame his baser instincts, made him curb his desire to do as he please, consequences be damned. He was a Lord, after all, so what corollary would really have any effect on him. Ignoring her insult, he said, "You were not to leave the Palace grounds."

"I'm no prisoner Sesshoumaru!" she snarled, her voice harsh with tears as she finally stood and slowly set her friends body to the side. She hurt, both physically and emotionally and listening to this arrogant demon complaining about her leaving was the last thing she wanted to do.

"Prisoner or no, you are under this Sesshoumaru's protection." His hand snapped out viper quick to snatch at her arm as she made to stride past him. She came to a halt only because of his vise-like grip. "You will do as I command."

She wanted so desperately to glare at him but was only able to focus on the sound of his voice as she tugged futilely on her captured arm, her blood smearing between his fingers. "I never asked for your protection or anything else!"

Unable to restrain himself any longer, her jerked her closer until they were standing chest to chest, the edges of his eyes bleeding red with his anger. "Who would you have fight for you girl, when your damned weakness gets in the way? Who has been training you, teaching you, healing you?" His voice, usually quiet and indifferent, came out in a roar, frightening the birds out of the trees. How _dare_ the girl insult him, acting as if he wasn't worthy of protecting her! He wanted so badly to dig his claws through her chest and drip poison into her heart.

Rational started to kick itself back into gear, or at least, tried to before it was once more swamped between anger and pain and the oddest little sense of betrayal. "It's what friends do for each other you stupid oaf! You _help_ your friends and they you!" She leaned back just enough to poke her finger into his chest, and said, "But then you wouldn't know anything about _that_ kind of relationship, would you! You're all alone in this world!"

He snarled and shoved her to the ground, sneering down his nose at her. "This Sesshoumaru has no need of your human sentimentalities. Where are your friends now girl? Taken control of by your enemy? Killed because you could not protect them? Or abandoned because you never went back for them?" Disdain settled over his features as he stared down at her, unwilling to allow her to bait him, even as he felt shame settle in the pit of his stomach at such callous comments. "What of your friends now?"

Kagome simply stared up in his general discussion, stunned and reeling even as tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she stumbled to her feet. Despair welled within her and made her movements instinctive and rapid as she attacked him, slamming a fist into his beautiful, surprised jaw before proceeding to pummel him as harshly as her human hands could.

He stood there, letting her hit him, watching her as she fought against him sightlessly, tears streaming out of blind eyes as sobs tore through her body. Finally, her body reached its limit and she slipped slowly to the ground until she was on her knees in front of him, her shoulders slumped and her head bowed as anguished cries ripped from her throat. "I should hate you," she whispered through choked cries, and then, "I'm as alone as you are."

He said nothing.

Ch. _Fin_

o.O.o

A/n – Wow. Been forever and I know that's a _huge_ understatement. All I can say is sorry and that I'll try to do better. Honest! So I think I'm going to wait and see how the story progresses to see if she gets her sight back. Also…sorry if this chapter is a bit on the depressing side.

Review Responses:

WolvenTemptress – Thank you! It's so hard to keep Kagome in character sometimes that it makes me wonder what people think!

Knifethrower – Thank you!

Kagome Miko 207 – I haven't decided yet but I don't think she's going to realize any time soon. But it'll probably be shocked and then a kind of chagrined interest.

Yumi2482 – Hope this one being a bit on the sad side doesn't put you off the story any!

Ileah – It was probably 1 or 2 hundred that surrounded her, I never really put a definitive number to it. And you guessed right that it was a golem of Naraku, not the real thing. As far as Ship goes, I gave a little bit of a hint of what happened this chapter…or did I? xD

Insert Possible Name Choices - _ Long username. xD and thank you for reviewing. I'm glad you liked it.

Blueberry babe – I always continue, even if it takes me forever a day to do so. But I'm trying to get better habits, so wish me luck.

Rhianna224 – thank you!

Mlmonty – yeah, I'm not sure either. If I do give it back, it won't be until the end of the story. Again, that's a **major** if. Thanks for the review!

Pandora-of-the-South – HI! And thanks for the review! Now, to your questions! Yup, it was totally Sess who gave Kag's mom the staff and it was the future daiyoukai. Kag's doesn't know who it's from though.

Jojo – Thanks!


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